Collar protector and support



Oct. 11, 1955 M. s. STRASSER 2,720,348

CQLLAR PROTECTOR AND SUPPORT Filed May 2, 1952 /2? var: 2902": Myra/7.57 Stress er,-

WIS Wtzm/weys.

United State Pfltemo My invention relates to protectors and supports forcollars of laundered shirts. More particularly, it pertains to a deviceof this character which is adapted, to .be flexed to a curvatureconforming approximately tothat of the front and sides of the collar ofalaundered shirt and which is adapted to be positioned upright againstthe inner side of theneckband thereof toprevent the collar 2,720,348Patented Oct. 11, 1955 Referringto the drawings- 1 represents my collarsupport which comprises an elongated, preferably but not necessarilyrectangular, strip of paperboard in which the majority of the fiberstherein runs transversely of the strip so that it may be readily flexedto conform to the shape of the neckband of alaundered shirt withoutbreaking. At each end,

the strip is provided with oppositely extending portions 2 and 3, bothof which are partially. defined by the bottom edge 4 ofthe strip. Eachportion 3 is partially defined by'an edge formed by a cut 8, and theportions 2 project beyond the ends of the support.

from being crushed when it is packed with a number of other shirts orother materials for delivery from the laundry, e Various types ofdevices, including that disclosedin my U. S. Letters Patent No.2,605,941 granted August}, 1952, have been laundered shirts from beingcrushed .or wrinkled but most of them have been designed to beinsertedbetween the folds of the collar in such a manner as to reinforce thecollar and prevent its being crushedwhen a load is imposed thereon. t

Since devices of this characterare discarded by-the customer, they mustbe made of inexpensive material and are usually made of paperboardwhich, while it has very little resistance to bending or flexure, doesoffer material resistance to deformation when pressure is applied in adirection edgewise thereof.

In my copending application aforesaid, I have disclosed a collar supportof this general character having at each end thereof a portion, and atransversely extending line of weakness forming a hinge about which saidportion may be swung outwardly at an angle to the main body of saidsupport so that it will underlie the adjacent part of the neckband tohold the support in proper position.

The principal object of my present invention is to provide animprovement on the structure disclosed in my application for LettersPatent aforesaid in which the support is provided with an improved meansfor holding it in protecting position when inserted within the neckbandof a laundered shirt.

I accomplish this and other objects by forming my collar support in themanner described below and illustrated in the accompanying drawings inWhich- Fig. 1 is a side elevation view of said support;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation view of type of said support;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a fragmentary portion of a launderedshirt, including the collar with portions broken away, and showing myprotector positioned within the neckband thereof;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of one end of the support shownin Fig. 1 showing how the end portion may be swung out of the plane ofsaid support;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the end portion of the typeof protector shown in Fig. 2 showing how the end portion thereof may beswung out;

Fig. 6 is a slightly enlarged section of Fig. 3 in about the plane 33;and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary elevation view of a modified type of support.

a slightly modified suggested to prevent the collars on i In Fig. 1, thestrip is provided at each end between said oppositely extending portionswith a transverselyextending line of weakness 5, which may be formed byscoring the strip and which intersects the end of the strip at a pointbelow the top thereof. The species shown in Fig. 2 is. substantiallyidenticalwith that shown in Fig. 1 except that it is provided at eachend between the oppositely extending portions with atransversely-extending line of weakness 6which extends upwardly to the,inter section of the top edge of the protectorwith the. end thereof. Thescores 5 and 6 form hinges about which the end portions of the strip maybe flexed to bring either the portion 2 or the portion 3 underneath theneckband of the shirt when the protector is positioned therein, as shownin Fig. 3. Depending upon the length of the protector, theoppositely-extending portions 2 and 3may extend under the neckband atspaced points thereof, as shown at7. in Fig. 3.

By having oppositely-extending portions at each end the"protector, theprotector, when positioned in the collarwith atfleast one of theportions 2 or 3 underneath the neckband of theshirt and the otherportion extending in the opposite direction and possibly under anotherportion of the neckband, the protector is less readily displaced thanwhere a single portion merely extends under the neckband.

In Fig. 7 I have shown a modified form of my support in which theoppositely-extending portions 18 and 19 at each end thereof are notsharply pointed and have slightly re-entrant zones 10 and 11,respectively, in the top edges. When either of the portions 18 and 19 ispositioned under the neckband of the shirt, the depressed or re-entrantportion therein tends to hold the support in place.

The score line 12 is here illustrated as running to the intersection ofthe top and end edges of the support, but it may, of course, be like thescore lines 5 in Fig. 1.

Another feature of my support which makes it resist displacement when inuse, is the fact that the score lines 5, 6 and 12 are disposed at anacute angle to the longitudinally extending edges of the support. Thus,when the end portions are swung about the score lines, they arepartially down-folded and held in that position by pressure of theneckband thereon so that they do not slide out as readily as theyotherwise would if they were vertical.

While I have described my invention in its preferred embodiment, it isto be understood that the words which I have used are words ofdescription rather than of limitation and that changes, within thepurview of the appended claims, may be made without departing from thetrue scope and spirit of my invention in its broader aspects.

What I claim is:

1. A collar protector and support for a laundered shirt comprising afiat, elongated strip of material adapted to be flexed to a curvatureconforming approximately to that of the front and sides of the collar ofsaid shirt and adapted to be positioned upright against the inner sideof the neckband thereof; said support having two opposite'ly extendingportions at each end thereof substanfi'fil'l'y "spaced fi'bfii the 116i)edge and partially flfifid f by the bottom edge of saidstrip; one ofsaid portions at each end of said strip projecting therebeyond and theother of said portions being within but partially severed frbin saidstrip by a 'cut extending inwardly from the bottorn edge bi s'aid striptowards the adjacent end therebf; said oppositely extending pdrtibns ateach end or strip being connected thereto along a score lifi'e extentransversely of said strip and refinin 'a e about wh ch said pcrtidnsinay be sw n when said support is positidn'ed in said shirt, to bringeither of said pertidn's beneath "said neekband.

2. The stnietnre set faith in claim 1, in which the-ten edge bf at leastone of said opposite-1y extending portions is provided with are-entr'a'nt portion adapted to ieeeiite the bottom edge of said'neekband when "said po'r't'ioh is swung thereunder. n v I i 3. Ab'bllar rotector and "support fer a laundered shirt rising a fiat,elongated "generally rectangular rip of i'hat'ei-ial adapted to beflexed to a curvature bnfonnin' a prdxintately to that of the front andsides of the collar of said shi'r't adapted to be positioned uprightagainst the inner side at the neckband thereof; said snppo'rt hav 'ingtwo oppositely extending portions at ea'ehend thereof substantiall saced from the top edge and artially defined by the bottom edge of saidst'ri'p'; hire of said portions at swung about said line to bring eitherof them beneath said iib'lib'ah'd in partially dawn-rela ed "condition.

4. The structure set forth in claim 3, in which the top edge of at leastone of said oppositely extending portions is provided with a re-entrantportion adapted to receive the bottom edge of said neckband when saidportion is swung thereunder.

5. A collar protector arrdsu'pport for a laundered shirt comprising aflat, elongated strip of material adapted to be flexed to a eurvatnreconforming approximately to that of the front and sides of the collar ofsaid shirt and adapted to be positioned upright against the inner sideof the neckband thereof; said support havingtwb oppositely extendingportions at each end thereof substantially spaced from the top edge andpartially defined by the bottom edge of said strip; one of said portionsat each end of said strip projecting therebeyond and the other of saidportions being within but partially severed from said strip by a cutextending inward'ly from the bottom edge of said strip towards th'eadj'a'c'e'n't end there i; said oppositely extending portions at each endof said "strip being connected thereto along a same line extending fromthe inner end of said out to the top edge "of said strip and forming ahinge about which said 'pbitiensnray be swung, when said support ispositioned each-end bi aid strip projecting thei'ebeyond and the etherat said "portions being within but partially severed 'froiri said st ipby a but extending inwardly train the bbttoin edge at said 'str'iptowards the adtaeent en'd therenr; said dppbsitely extending 'po'rtibn'sat eaeh end "or said stri being hingediy connected thereto along aseen-e line obliquely disposed to the longer edges of "said strip and exending upwards train the inner end or said but to an adjacent edge orsaid strip; whereby, when said sn p'ni is pbsitibne'd against saidneckband, said pbrtions may be in said shirt, "to bring either of "saidportions beneath said neekband.

'5. The structure set forth in claiin 5, in which the top edges of saidprojecting portions are provided with reentrant portions adapted toreceive the bottom edge of said neckband when said portions are swungthereunder.

heteien'ces Cited in the the of this patent I UNITED STATES PATENTS

